“Interestingly, the industry’s already accepting the wide-spread use of semi and fully automated materials or, ‘hands-off the load’, handling machinery. 70% welcomed that development,” said Derek. “Diagnostic systems help maintain the equipment efficiently. These systems are vendor-independent unlike some manufacturers’ bespoke software which is proprietary (ie inaccessible to third parties).

“The majority (60%) of our contacts welcome advancements in automated cranes and removing people from lifting processes for the real time reporting and efficiency gains they deliver. But 31% of respondents did express concern about ‘the dangers of automated cranes in terms of ensuring absolute safety without human involvement’.

“But I believe we’re decades away from a robot ever replacing personal service,” said Derek. “When a machine’s not working, it often takes a creative, problem-solving brain – not a pre-programmed, logical computer – to reassure the operator that a crane is once again fit for purpose and installed and tested to the highest standard. Just as the laws of physics haven’t changed which govern what and how you can lift a heavy object, you can’t change human nature.

“We’ve seen lifting operations go from being manually-operated with push button systems to ones which are semi and fully automated with minimal human contact and increased reliance on remote controls. As they say, once a robot works, you don’t call it a robot. It just works.”

Find out what an automated crane could do for you at: [http://www.cranecare.ltd.uk/pages/manufacturing.html]